News & Updates from Detroit Water Ice

S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic Receives Donated Coats

Highland Park, MI: Lisa Dunn’s act of charity was inspired by another charity that popped up, literally, right down the road from her popular Deja Vu, an upscale designer resale boutique in Franklin.

“When I saw the Detroit Water Ice Factory store in the Franklin Cider Mill parking lot this summer as a pop up, I decided to call to inquire who was behind this fun and great idea,” Dunn said. “Turns out it was Mitch Albom. This did not surprise me due to all his philanthropic work he does for Detroit, so I decided I would have a coat drive and donate all of the coats to S.A.Y. Detroit.”

Dunn collected nearly 30 coats during her two-month campaign, and last Friday (Dec. 15) the items found a home thanks to Dr. Peggy Richardson, medical director of the S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic in Highland Park. A “holiday store’’ was set up in a meeting room that was outfitted with a mirror and Christmas decorations so the clinic’s female patients can shop for their free coats in style.

Richardson and her staff, including Dr. Keyshia Covington, plan to distribute the coats in the coming days.

“The background of S.A.Y. Detroit really inspired me, and for our first event, I think it was a huge success!’’ Dunn said.

DETROIT, MI./Oct. 26 – The Detroit Water Ice Factory, downtown Detroit’s successful philanthropic dessert store of S.A.Y. Detroit charities, will celebrate a fall launch of a new product line beginning at noon Tuesday, Oct. 31 at its flagship location at One Campus Martius (1014 Woodward Ave.).

From noon to 6 p.m., customers can enjoy free samples of DWIF’s own freshly-made gourmet “Brown Bag Popcorn” in an array of flavors that include “Cheese Louise!” “Butter Me Up,’’ “Carmelicious!’’ and “mmmmmix!” (cheese and caramel).

Free samples of new flavors of DWIF’s popular rice pudding will also be available as the store celebrates the re-launch of that product.

“As the weather gets colder, we’re thrilled to expand our delicious dessert offerings to include hot gourmet popcorn that we make everyday in the shop,’’ said S.A.Y. Detroit founder Mitch Albom, who will be available for interviews at noon at the store. “We’re also introducing a gourmet line of rice pudding flavors. Both of these are available in easy carrying containers so people can take them back to their desks at the office and enjoy a great afternoon snack.

“As always, all of the profits we make go to help our fellow Detroiters, so we’re really happy to be able to offer even more delicious ways to help our fellow citizens.”

The DWIF, which opened in August 2015, follows the “Newman’s Own’’ model of philanthropy, offering delicious frozen dessert and other products with the sole goal of raising funds to help others. All profits benefit Detroit’s neediest citizens under Albom’s S.A.Y. Detroit umbrella of charities.

DETROIT — Doug Watson isn’t a carpenter by trade—he’s a longtime electrician at The Conti Corporation—but he raised his hand anyway when he heard that S.A.Y. Detroit needed some work done at its Detroit Water Ice Factory in downtown Detroit.

The request: Install a third row of trim designed to hold a slew of celebrity photographs at the frozen dessert store at Campus Martius, where all profits benefit Detroit’s neediest citizens under Mitch Albom’s S.A.Y. Detroit umbrella of charities.

“I’ve been in the business long enough that I know how to do a lot of different things,” Watson said. “I’m glad that you contacted me, but I’m especially glad that it worked out well.”

The project, which was completed last week, was Watson’s first since joining the Detroit Muscle Crew II last spring after Albom formed the all-volunteer team of skilled tradespeople to help with S.A.Y. Detroit’s physical projects and endeavors. (You can sign up to become a member here.)

Watson said that he had so much fun, and that Albom was so grateful, that he decided to donate the materials for the project himself, a value of $143.

“It was great teamwork all the way around,” Watson said. “Bedrock (which provides the DWIF space for the store) even sent a guy over to help me, because it was a two-person job.”

In town for the world premiere of the new movie, DETROIT, actors and starsPeyton ‘Alex’ Smith, Nathan Davis Jr., Joseph David Jones, Ben O’Toole, Tyler James Williams, and Ephraim Sykes made a special appearance at Detroit Water Ice Factory to celebrate Detroit’s 316th birthday. After receiving some fast training from Mitch Albom, the film’s stars scooped free water ice for the first 316 people who stopped by, and gave away a pair of tickets to the film’s premiere that night at the Fox Theatre.

Bloomfield Hills — If you happen to stop by the Detroit Water Ice Factory’s new pop-up location this summer at the Franklin Cider Mill, you’ll see the handy work of your Detroit Muscle Crew II.

All you have to do is take a look around.

The scoop: A team of DMCII members came together shortly before Memorial Day and put up the large tent on the parking lot at the cider mill. It wasn’t as easy as it looks. There was some craftsmanship going on to make the whole thing come together, with volunteers Jack Galopin and a few member members of Scott Albaugh’s masonry team, combined with a huge assist from Richard Krus of Midas Shelby Township.

The pop-up location at the cider mill, which is closed for the summer, will be open through the third week of August.

The DWIF, founded by author and columnist Mitch Albom, opened in downtown Detroit in August 2015. All profits support Albom’s S.A.Y. Detroit charity, which helps Detroiters in need. The cider mill’s picturesque scenery makes it the perfect spot for a pop-up, so come visit us this summer!

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